Multiple access schemes are employed by modern radio systems to allow multiple users to share a limited amount of bandwidth, while maintaining acceptable system performance. Common multiple access schemes include Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). System performance is also aided by error control codes. Nearly all communication system relies on some form of error control for managing errors that may occur due to noise and other factors during transmission of information through a communication channel. These communications systems can include satellite systems, fiber-optic systems, cellular systems, and radio and television broadcasting systems. Efficient error control schemes implemented at the transmitting end of these communications systems have the capacity to enable the transmission of data including audio, video, text, etc. with very low error rates within a given signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) environment. Powerful error control schemes also enable a communication system to achieve target error performance rates in environments with very low SNR, such as in satellite and other wireless systems where noise is prevalent and high levels of transmission power are costly, if even feasible.
Thus, a broad class of powerful error control schemes that enable reliable transmission of information have emerged including convolutional codes, low density parity check (LDPC) codes, and turbo codes. Both LDPC codes as well as some classes of turbo codes have been successfully demonstrated to approach near the theoretical bound (i.e., Shannon limit). Although long constraint length convolutional codes can also approach the Shannon limit, decoder design complexity prevents practical, wide spread adoption. LDPC codes and turbo codes, on the other hand, can achieve low error rates with lower complexity decoders. Consequently, these codes have garnered significant attention.
For example, conventional data transmission to and from an ultra small terminal via satellite is usually based on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technique using rate ½ or ⅓ turbo codes. CDMA spreads bandwidth to reduce the interference to adjacent satellites, whereas the turbo code provides coding gain needed to close the link. CDMA also allows multiple users sharing the bandwidth at the same time. However, CDMA systems typically need a large bandwidth expansion factor to function properly. Additionally, CDMA systems require all signals accessing the same spectrum at the same time to be of equal power; provision for power control makes CDMA system more complicated to implement. The inherent long propagation delay of a satellite link makes it even more difficult.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need for an access scheme that can effectively utilize low code rates, while minimizing complexity.